Today Strategic Design

“Climate Active certification is a commitment to a better future for everyone.”

Type of certification

Organisation

How long have you been certified carbon neutral?

Since April 2021.

Why did you choose to go carbon neutral?

Today is a purpose-first business, designed from the ground up for impact. We were founded with a mission to use creativity, design and technology to tackle important challenges and affect change.

We're proud to be certified as a B Corporation, and have been since its initial launch in Australia in 2013. As part of this, we've signed a declaration of interdependence that says "... through their products, practices, and profits, businesses should aspire to do no harm and benefit all."

It's important that we consider the impact on people and the planet with each decision we make as a business. It's not just about reducing harm, it's about looking for opportunities to do good.

What are the anticipated benefits of your carbon neutral certification?

We are living in a truly historic moment where the action we take today will have a direct and profound impact on the generations to come. By taking this first step on the road to net zero emissions by 2030, Today is doing our part in achieving the future our world deserves.

What offset projects do you support?

A wind farm project in China and a Greenfleet forestry project in Victoria, Australia.   

Why did you choose these projects?

For our internationally Climate Active recognised credits we invested in the Guohua Wulate Zhongqi Phase I 49.5 MW Wind farm Project.

In North China, wind farms introduce clean energy to the grid which would otherwise be generated by coal-fired power stations. The total installed capacity of the proposed project is 49.5MW with 33sets of turbines and a unit capacity of 1500kW. The estimated electricity output to NCPG is 124,300MWh per year.

The project not only supplies renewable electricity to the grid, but also contributes to sustainable development of the local community, the host country and the world by means of:

• creating local employment 15 job opportunities during the project construction and operation period;
• supplying 124,300MWh green power to NCPG and easing the pressure on the local electricity;
• changing the structure of the local electricity supply and making the electricity structure diversification; and
• reducing greenhouse gas emissions carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (such as NO2) carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons.

For our Australia-based investment we wanted our choice of carbon offsets to pay respect to the thousands of years of intimate knowledge that First Nations Peoples have on their land. So we chose to also invest in Greenfleet’s Reforest Project. Greenfleet understands the responsibility they have to Traditional Owners, working proactively alongside them to restore native biodiversity, protect and heal country.

The work Greenfleet’s projects do on restoring and developing forests supports the broader ecosystem. As the forests grow they contribute to shelter for native fauna, better soils, healthier rivers and improved drinking water for people. Heavy local investment on seedlings, equipment hire, and wages strengthens the economic resilience and social cohesion of local communities.

With revegetation work stretching from South Gippsland through to endangered grassy woodlands in Central Victoria, we’re proud to back Greenfleet in the work they’re carrying out in our home state and further afield across Australia.

How can the community support you?

The community can support us by joining the conversation on our socials and sharing our purpose.

Together we can reinvent our systems to be inclusive, thoughtful, fair and sustainable.

What else are you doing to reduce emissions?

Reducing our environmental footprint has always been a focus in our business.

Please find attached our Social and Environmental Policy for a detailed list of our approach in reducing emissions.

What has been the impact of your action?

During the last year, Today has made great progress in reducing emissions by 20% less than our baseline (financial) year 2019-2020. Our emissions reduction plan focuses primarily on the actions with the highest emissions reduction impact. We aim to continue working towards a reduction target of at least 4.5% each year and aligning with the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement to limit global temperature rise to under 1.5 C.

One of our most significant achievements was switching to 100% carbon neutral energy late in 2019. This is the first year that we have completely eliminated emissions from electricity use. And we've got big plans for the future.

Our new and ambitious commitments will focus on the following areas from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2030:

• Achieve Net Zero Emissions by 2030
• Local, carbon neutral goods and services
• Reduce emissions intensive corporate travel wherever possible
• Embed sustainability into Today’s policies and procedures
• Transition towards zero waste for Today’s operations
• Aboriginal owned offset providers and nature based offsets

What advice would you give to a business considering certification?

Dive in the deep end, ask for help and advice, and get it done. The certification process may seem daunting, you might not feel ready, but if you just give it a crack you’ll learn a lot.

Climate Active certification is a commitment to a better future for everyone.

Find out more…